1. Field of the Disclosure
This disclosure relates to a control mechanisms having angularly adjustable shafts, and more particularly, relates to methods and devices and kits for precluding adjustability of an angularly adjustable control mechanism (e.g., a potentiometer or rotary encoder).
2. Description of the Related Art
One type of rotary controller is a potentiometer. A potentiometer is a variable resistor or rheostat. Potentiometers are commonly used to control electrical devices, such as volume and other parameters (e.g., tone, mix, balance, time, drive, boost, etc.) on audio equipment (e.g., amplifiers, instruments, effects devices (e.g., stompboxes)). In the case of audio equipment, potentiometers may be used to adjust the level of analog signals present in the various electronic circuits in the device.
Potentiometers may comprise a resistive element, a sliding contact (wiper) that moves along the element, making electrical contact with one part of it, electrical terminals, a housing containing the element and wiper, and an output shaft with which the wiper can be moved, e.g., from one end of the element to the other. Potentiometer output shafts may come in all different configurations, including for example, splined, D-shaped cross-section, hexagonal, or any other polygonal shape.
Another type of rotary control is a rotary encoder. A rotary encoder, also called a shaft encoder, is an electro-mechanical device that converts the angular position or motion of a shaft or axle to an analog or digital code. The output of absolute encoders indicates the current position of the shaft, making them angle transducers. The output of incremental encoders provides information about the motion or position of the shaft.
In many, if not most, potentiometers (or other rotary control) applications, the angular position of the output shaft is manually set by a user (e.g., to adjust a particular parameter). Additionally, in many applications, a number of potentiometers may be arranged on a device (e.g., a stompbox) in close proximity to one another. Once a desired setting (e.g., rotary or angular position) for a particular parameter is achieved, a user may wish for the angular position of the output shaft to remain in that desired position. For example, “perfected” settings for such knobs (which, of course may be subjective) typically take a long time to achieve. If the position of any potentiometer on any device is moved (for example, amongst a plurality of potentiometers of respective various stompbox devices arranged on a pedal board), the user (or perhaps their roadie or technician) will need to re-set that position to the desired position in order to attain the desired parameter setting (and, for example, its desired impact on the resulting tone of a musical instrument, e.g., guitar, connected to the effect device).
For example, musicians experience significant disruptions and inconveniences when potentiometer knobs (or other rotary controls) are accidentally bumped, for example, during transportation of audio equipment, e.g., to or from rehearsals or gigs, requiring re-setting and/or re-calibration of the equipment each time it is used.
Some minimal efforts have been directed in the past to address the problem inherent in adjustable potentiometer output shafts/knobs, namely that the potentiometer output shafts/knobs are easily knocked out of adjustment by incidental contact, and the inconvenience and frustration resulting therefrom.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved device and method for preventing inadvertent adjustments of rotary control (e.g., potentiometers or rotary encoder) output shafts/knobs.